PERCUTANEOUS BALLOON PERICARDIOTOMY - A DOUBLE-BALLOON TECHNIQUE

We describe a double-balloon technique for performing a percutaneous b alloon pericardiotomy. This technique was employed when the large, sin gle dilation balloon customarily used for this procedure failed to ful ly inflate across the parietal pericardium. Two smaller balloons were advanced through the same skin tract and simultaneously inflated, thus producing an adequate pericardial window. This double-balloon techniq ue allowed for the more secure anchoring of the balloons across the pe ricardium and for the delivery of greater dilation pressures. (C) 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.